Friday, May 31, 2013

Carnegie Free Library of Barbados (Bridgetown, Barbados)

The Carnegie Free Library of Barbados was opened on January 26, 1906 in Bridgetown, Barbados. The library was built with a grant of £2500 (approximately $12,150) given by Andrew Carnegie to the city of Bridgetown in 1903 at the request of Governor Frederic Hodgson. It was the first Carnegie Library built outside of Great Britain and North America. The library remained in operation until August 2006 when it was closed due to structural damage and deterioration. Plans to restore the Carnegie Free Library of Barbados have been postponed due to economic and financial issues. Restore the Barbados Public Library has created a Facebook page to generate support for the library's restoration: